Referendum sidesteps responsibility of board

Dealing with the public sector can be exhausting. You arrive at a point that any collaboration for betterment of community or schools is an endurance run against obstinate indulgences. Language and messaging are used to persuade uninformed or ill-informed population. The narrative sounds like this recent one sent out by the Denmark School District.

A fact sheet mailed out proclaims 2.5 million dollars in "reductions" over eight years. They went through approximately $104 million. They saved about 2 percent from what hard budget choices? Attrition? To be candid, 85 percent of the budget is salaries and benefits to people employed by the district. Act 10 helped curb costs despite the great vitriol from educators and other public sector personnel. That is not something the district can brag about leveraging contracts before Act 10 was implemented.

I am not supporting the referendum nor how it obfuscates the fiscal responsibility of the School Board. This fiscal increase does not protect our children from the effects of taught mediocrity. Nothing will change for the better if you indulge the fiscal demands of the public sector. Unless you belong to that sector. That's not fair. Oh, look at the data yourself: sfs.dpi.wi.gov/sfs_safrlinks.